Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon

Ep 20 Bonus: Retribution Politics: When Dissent Becomes Dangerous

Sue Gordon & Eric Koepp Episode 20

In this special edition of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric explore the troubling rise of retribution politics in America. Prompted by a Reuters investigation into over 470 individuals and institutions allegedly targeted by the Trump administration, they examine what happens when government power is used to punish dissent—from prosecutors and journalists to universities and companies.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Introduction to Ui Bonus Episode

00:57 Sue's Perspective on Retribution

02:15 Government Privilege and Free Speech

05:10 Hostile Leadership Environment Implications

05:58 Looking Ahead

Article: 

Trump’s campaign of retribution: At least 470 targets and counting

About the show:

Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon is the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.

Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.

From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.

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